Improvement in weather-board gages



D. NEFF.

Weather-Board Gage.

No. 164,584, Patentedlunel5,l875.

IE d h a, (m) a. Q in WITNESSES m ENT ATTORNEYS THE GRAPHIC C(LPHOTO LITH.39 81.41PARK PLAOEJLY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID NEFF, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT lN WEATHER-BOARD GAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 164,584. dated J une 15, 1875; application filed November 21, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID NEFF, of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Weather-Board Gages; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a side view of my weather-board gage. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a bottom view.

This invention has relation to gages for regulating and facilitating the application of weather-boarding to the frame-work of the house. The object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the nail which secures the gage to the last weather-board applied may be readily withdrawn from its hold therein, when that next above has been nailed; and to this end the nature of the invention consists in a lever pii'oted to the body of the gage, and its power end engaging with a notch in the fastening-nail, whereby, when it becomes necessary to draw the nail, an actuation of the said lever will have the desired effect, and the nail, being drawn in a direct line, will not be bent, but will be in condition for immediate use, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In the annexed drawings, A designates the body of my improved gage, consisting of the board-holder c and the stem a, the base or lower surface of the latter being at right angles to the former, as shown in Fig. 1. B designates a lug projecting from the board-holder a, parallel to the stem at of the gage, and a suitable distance above it, through which, and through the said stem, rectangular apertures are cut registering with each other in the same vertical plane, for the purpose of allowing the insertion therein of a vertically-movable nail, O, of corresponding shape. At the opposite end of the gage-stem a] from that through which the above-mentioned aperture is cut an adjustable slide, 1), is arranged, by means of which I am able, having decided upon the width of my weather-boarding, to make each and every subsequently-applied board conform in width to the board first nailed to the framework; and, with a view to dispensing with measuring 0E the selected width on the stem at of the gage, I have made use of a graduated plate permanently secured thereto, upon which are laid off inches, one-half, one-quarter, and one-eighth inches, whereby the desired width may be marked by the head d of the slide, which is then clamped and held in any desired position by means of a screw, 8, as shown in Fig. 2. The nail 0 before referred to is provided with a broad flat head, 0, and with lateral notches c, the upper and lower edges of which are rounded, as shown in Fig. 2. It is also provided with a shoulder, e, which abuts against the upper surface of the stem at, at each side of the perforation therein, for the purpose of arresting the nail when it is driven into a weather-board before its head strikes the lug B, thereby preventing its being casually broken off and disabling the gage. E designates a lever, having an eye, f, upon its lower surface, by means of which it is tulcrumed at g to a projection, 2', upon the upper surface of the stem at, having angular sides 2'. Its weight end is also provided with a vertical notch, j, by means of which it is engaged with the notches c of nail C. By this construction of the securing-nail 0 it may be drawn out of a weather-board by the actuation of the lever E in the direct continuation of its lengththat is to say, the line of draft will be perfectly vertical and in the same plane with the longer axis of the nail. By this means the nail will escape being bent during its withdrawal, a matter of no small importance, as in my improved gage it is a permanent fixture, and not designed for removal, except when worn out from long use. The object of mounting the lever E upon the an gular elevation t of the stem a is, that, by allowing it to vibrate in a longer are, thereby effectually withdrawing the nail G, to reduce it to a minimum length, with a view to actuating the said lever by a blow of the hammer, the shortness thereof preventing it from bending and destroying the effect of the blow.

I am aware of the Letters Patent granted No. 108,376, and hereby disclaim the invention therein described.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A weather-board gage, A, provided with aperforated lug, B, and lever E, having a notch, j, in combination with the nail (J, having lateral notches c, with rounded upper and lower edges, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

- to J. M. Milholland, dated October 18, 1870, 2. The nail G, having the lateral notches c,

with rounded upper and lower edges and shoulder s, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence DAVID NEFF.

- of two witnesses.

Witnesses THOMAS STOBO, MOSES G. MGLAIN. 

